Comparison

StaffWars vs NinGenius Music

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

StaffWars

Master musical clefs with this interactive game. Practice note names on the grand staff, treble, alto, and bass clefs. Ideal for musicians of all levels looking to improve their sight-reading skills.

Highlights
  • Learn note names on grand staff
  • Practice treble clef
  • Master alto clef
  • Woodshed bass clef
  • Interactive musical game
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

StaffWars is a game designed to help beginning and intermediate musicians learn, practice and woodshed the note names on the grand staff, treble, alto and bass clefs. THE APP for anyone who wants to master these clefs.

About

NinGenius Music

This app helps music students master instrument notes, fingerings, and rhythms through engaging games. It tracks individual student progress and provides detailed statistics for educators.

Highlights
  • Instrument note and fingering practice
  • Rhythm training
  • Student progress tracking
  • Customizable assessment levels
  • High score lists and leaderboards
  • Exportable gameplay data (CSV)
Features
Read full description

The only music mastery app featuring all instrument NOTES, FINGERINGS & RHYTHMS. Track every student in your studio for one small price! Let our little ninja test and motivate your piano, string, brass, woodwind, or percussion students to conquer the essentials of music notation. Fingering graphics are clear and attractive, with appropriate ALTERNATE FINGERINGS shown in red. Your remediation troubles are over! Your students will work like never before to master their note names and fingerings under the pressure of frenzied music and a timer moving closer to zero! They will want to play over and over to make it to the top of the HIGH SCORES LIST, increasing their speed and accuracy as they earn a collection of ninja belts. NinGenius keeps a record of every game played, allowing you to view complete stats for each student in your studio. You can also EMAIL YOURSELF a CVS file containing all gameplay data so you can analyze student progress and sort by any field. Unlimited players can study 3 musical instruments, but additional instruments can be purchased for under a dollar. Your students can also download the 3-user, single-instrument "Games 4 Kids" version of NinGenius Music for a low price. If you want to get ALL instruments in one app, download the "Class Games" edition. The following musical instruments are available: WOODWIND: Recorder, Alto Recorder, Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon, & Saxophone BRASS: Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone-Euphonium, & Tuba STRINGS: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, & Guitar KEYBOARDS: Piano & Mallet Percussion APP FEATURES: • STUDY MODE teaches the note names and fingerings for each note in the chosen level, and features a low-stress quiz option • TEST MODE ramps up the intensity with exciting gameplay features for (1) Note Names and (2) Fingerings in 4 default difficultly levels • Teachers can now create CUSTOM LEVELS to assess any set of notes and fingerings • HIGH SCORE LIST organizes the students by top score for each instrument and level • Teachers can view PLAY HISTORY to see each student's stats for every game they have played • Email yourself a CSV file showing complete student data (Score, Accuracy, etc.) for all tests

Screenshots

StaffWars4 screens
NinGenius Music4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StaffWars at none against NinGenius Music's 10. StaffWars also leads on rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and price ($1.99 vs $5.99). NinGenius Music's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

StaffWars costs $1.99 and NinGenius Music $5.99 up front. NinGenius Music sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. StaffWars asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StaffWars holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StaffWars has 134 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of StaffWars's written reviews are positive against 67% of NinGenius Music's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StaffWars ships an update every 4 months, NinGenius Music every 6 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
StaffWars versus NinGenius Music: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStaffWarsNinGenius Music
Price$1.99 — better$5.99
Rating4.2 (134 ratings) — better4.0 (23 ratings)
Positive reviews74.1% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings134 — better23
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#19 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTMI Media, LLCNingenius Studios LLC

Customer experience

StaffWars

All ratings133 ratings
Positive79.7%
Neutral6.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive74.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative16.5%

NinGenius Music

All ratings23 ratings
Positive69.6%
Neutral13.0%
Negative17.4%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative20.0%

Bugs and requests

StaffWars

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Double-click registration causing unintended note selections
  • Incorrect note location detection preventing proper learning
  • App fails to close properly on iPhone X
  • Unresponsive touch input
  • Occasional app crashes reported

Requested features

13 requests
  • Extended note range for ledger lines (especially for cello and violin)
  • Piano keyboard interface instead of letter buttons
  • Microphone/instrument input feature for actual note playing
  • Note names displayed in note heads
  • Slow mode option for beginners
Show 8 more
  • Sound feedback for incorrect answers
  • Multiple clef practice mode (switching between clefs)
  • Separate range settings for treble and bass staves
  • Teacher account system to track student progress
  • Different background music themes
  • Instrument-specific transposition settings
  • Audio playback of correct pitches
  • Account system for home practice tracking

NinGenius Music

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

StaffWars

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

NinGenius Music

One-time10
  • Baritone Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Clarinet Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Flute Instrument Add-in$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Piano Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Saxophone Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Trombone Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Trumpet Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Tuba Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Viola Instrument Add-in$0.99
  • Mallets Instrument Add-in$0.99

Questions

Is StaffWars free?
StaffWars costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NinGenius Music free?
NinGenius Music costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, StaffWars or NinGenius Music?
StaffWars is rated higher. StaffWars averages 4.2 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while NinGenius Music averages 4.0 from 23 ratings.
Do StaffWars or NinGenius Music have ads?
Neither StaffWars nor NinGenius Music shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StaffWars or NinGenius Music?
StaffWars ships an update every 4 months, and NinGenius Music every 6 months. Most recently, StaffWars was updated on November 6, 2026 and NinGenius Music on November 6, 2026.

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